The Washington critic., 1887-10-01
RICHARD II. SYLVESTER. Editor
WASHINGTON. OCTOBER /, 1ss
NnN.PnnrrIuAn moNoRg.

NON-POLITIOAL HoNoRg.
One Of the most just and well eS.
pressed tributes to the services Of Gov.
ernor Shepherd which has yet appeared
in the public press will be found In the
Troy N. " Times Of September q.
Coming from such q source It mly ais,
lie considered wholly disnierestcl, and
is in marked contrast TO some severe
criticisms, based upaa 'suf0rmaio1
or prejudice, that have been printed
elsewhere, and 10y newspapers, like thl
Jmcs, OF decided Republican views.
Some years ago, Il will by remem-
bered, the Democratic press Of the
country exhausted its stock NJ yitupcr-
alton in abuse Of Governor Shepherd.
1t was part Of The policy of the party
at that time.
The people remote from Washington
were told that he was second Tweed,
and that he was despollng The National
Capital for his personal emolumUnl.
The party supporter OF the Grant
administrations were compelled to com
bat these Misrepresentation at every
turn, and as they had nothing to show
in the Governors defense but city in
condition Of uphoayal aud confusion,
with its work of reconstruction incOn.
plete, it was difficult to counleract
many OF the wrong impressions that
were created abroad relative to the
operations OF the Board of Public
Works, then forming large item In
The capital stock OF the Democratic
party.
1t was only as the city emerged from
the ruins OF the old, into the symmet-
dcal beauty and order of the new dis
pensation, that the country began to
realize and rectify its mistakes. The
accomplished fact of regeneration,
upon scale that converted q strag
Cling group Of villages into the finest
capital on the face Of the globe. dlssi-
pated at last thousand wrongful mis-.
apprehensions and vlndlcated those who
had been mainly instrumental in bring.
Ing about the change.
The Troy Times is a Republican
newspaper. but in this matter, out OF
which all the old political elements
have long been eliminated, Il is thor
oughly candid and non partisan In its
judgment. If Governor Shepherd ever
was politician. he is so no longer.
The CRrrIC is unaware what his views
Of the present political situation are. 1t
has no interest In knowing them, and
he probably has none to express. A
man who has been virtual exile from
his country for seven years, engaged In
vast enterprises absorbing his whole
energies, is not likely to know much
or care much about our current poll
tics. 1t Is very certain that there's no
politics in the great system OF improve
ments which he inaupurated for the
city OF Washington, aud there's no pol.
itcs in the following commendatory
mention Of the results Of his labors
here. To quote from the Times:
There are Thousands Of people living who
remember what the city of Washington was
in the old days, before and during the war.
1t had been not inaptly described as "a city
Of magnificent distances"-but, in reality,
u was something wor,e than that 1t was a
sity where novels iostled magnificent Gov
ernment structures; whore pigsties al
,lOlueu ItslucNNtSt WHOsC street
were mostly unpaved or so wretchedly pave.
as 10 render driving over them almost tor
= ture to those yenturing upon the experiment
city miserably lighted, inadeGuately po
Heed, indifferently supplied with nearly al
the comforts and conveniences which would
naturally be looked for at the Capital Of Q
great nation.
Governor shepherd and his associates fairly
Fitted Washington out OF the mud. They
ravpl md haautinaI IN atp a n ma n
and public places. caused them to be kept
clean and well lighted, improved the police
invited and secured the corporation OF citi
zens In the cleaningup and clearing.up pro
cess, and so attracted the attention OF wealthy
people all over the land, and of wealthy
foreigners as we'll Real estate appreciated
IN value Immensely and to-day Washingtoni |:
Justly pronounced the most beautiful city In
America.
OF course, this marvellous transformation
was not brought about without the expendi-
fufe OF large sums Of money, but what resi-
dent Of Washington is there who now grudges
the expense, or what patriotic citizen of the
Republics there who Is not proud and gTate-
ful that the Capital City OF the nation has been
improved, beautiled and advanced, until It il
Sockoned among the handsomest capitals OF
the word'
The people OF Washington do well to honor
ex-Goyernor Shepherd, and the people OF the
whole country ought TO Join them at least in
spirit. But for Governor Shepherds genius
Washington might still bo au eyusoro aud q
disgrace to the nation.
THE Glenn bill, about which such d
hue and cry was raised during It.
pendency in the Georgia Legislature
has "gone where the woolbs,
twineth, ," and the voice Of the mourns
is not heard. The substitute for Ii.
bill, which was In reality quite Oa Oh
noXious as the original, though somo
what different In terms, has shared TN
same fate, and an agitation which wa
only calculated to create prejudice
among class of people at the North
who seek all possible opportunities for
being prejudiced against the South, Il
at an end Georgia wisely concludes tC
leave the problem to the arbitration oil
public sentiment. In the meantime, a
clAmor against the admission Of colorel
children to the white schools, much
more rantankerous than that which
temporarily disturbed the peace oil
Georgia, has arisen out in Kansas
The school board OF Fort Scott, com
posed of Republicans, has drawn
the color line with a stringency that
would make challenger at n Missis-
sippi election precinct turn green with
envy. and the Colored folks having goj